30 Day Challenge | Day 3: The Perfect First Date

**Okay.  I'm going to get a little cheesy here.  You've been warned.**

I do believe that my first date with J may have been the best first date ever.

And I don't just mean my own, personal best first date.  I mean it was the best of all the first dates of all the people in all the world.  That's right.

For starters, our first date was on the fourth of July.  J said he was going for something memorable!  J picked me up, and we went to Regency Park.  I had spent all day perfecting the perfect picnic basket (grilled teriyaki chicken sandwiches with provolone, potato salad, lemon bars, wine).  This was excellent, as I was able to show off my mad kitchen skills on the first date.

I brought along the picnic basket and a blanket, J brought a cooler of other drinks, and we found the perfect spot to listen to the North Carolina Symphony perform.  We got to eat and talk while we listened, and wait for the fireworks display that would start after dark.

A picnic, the symphony and fireworks for a first date?  How cool is that?

Only we didn't actually get to the fireworks...

The thunder started after we were done eating, but before the symphony had finished playing.  And before we knew it, the skies had opened up.  It wasn't just raining- it was pouring.

The car was parked about a mile away, so we hoofed it back as best as we could.  Needless to say, my perfect first date look had been completely ruined.  J and I were completely soaked to the bone.

When the car was finally in sight, we made a mad final dash, hopped in...and the rain stopped.  It was like someone had flipped a switch!  Literally, the moment we slammed the car doors shut, the rain was gone.  It was crazy!  We both laughed, because what else is there to do in a moment like that?

Even though I looked like something that cat dragged in, J held my hand on the car ride home that night.  And kissed me goodnight.  And I just knew that something good was coming into my life.

We had five dates that first week.  I think maybe he knew, too.

So THAT, my friends, is the perfect first date.  Unique, personal, fun...and most certainly unforgettable.

30 Day Challenge | Day 2: Something I Ate Today

Not gonna lie...this is not exciting.

Meatless tacos for lunch today.  I'd wait and take a more exciting picture of dinner tonight, but we're having spaghetti.  Also not exciting,



And since I've locked myself into this 30 Day Challenge, I can't pick and choose my posts, and wait for a more gourmet day to show off my culinary talent.

Looks like Martha has bested me today, that's for sure.

30 Day Challenge | Day 1: A Recent Photo of Me! (And Some Other Stuff.)

1. I am a natural (almost) ginger.  I used to have orangey hair, but it has faded to this auburn color that I much prefer.  Although I used to abhor my red tresses, I now adore them.  (Ha!  I made a rhyme!)
2. I am the oldest of four children.  We are pretty spread out in age...I was an only child for a long time!  Steven is 8 years younger, Laura is ten years younger, and Scott is 12 years younger.  Growing up with babies, babies everywhere was so much fun!
3. I feel most beautiful when I am pregnant.
4. I've lived in several states.  I was born in Ohio, moved to New York when I was 4, moved back to Ohio when I was 12, went to college in Michigan (during which time my family moved to Kansas for a short stint- I didn't so much "live" there, but I did long-term visit several times), then moved to North Carolina to take my first teaching position.  I think I'm here to stay!
5. I met J on the Internet.  Yep, it's true.  I met my computer nerd of a husband on the Internet.  eHarmony really can work!
6. I am an extremely picky eater.  It's annoying.  I don't eat anything from the sea, veggies are hit or miss, and so is meat, for that matter.  Texture is a big deal to me.  If it feels funny in my mouth, I am not interested.  Luckily, I'm a great cook, and I can work around my finickiness.
7.  I used to have a serious shopping problem.  J reformed me.  I still love to shop, but now I have a monthly allowance to stick to.  To go hand-in-hand with my shopping problem, I love accessories.  Shoes are my favorite.  I have close to 100 pairs.
8. I'd love to be an event planner in my next life.  I am the resident party planner (and hostess with the mostess, I like to think), and I had uber amounts of fun planning my wedding.  I definitely think it's something I would enjoy doing for a living.
9. I love to sing.  I've been singing since I could talk.  I've sung at eight weddings, I've performed the National Anthem at countless sporting events (including two Durham Bulls games), and I even auditioned for American Idol.  (Clearly, I didn't make it that year.  And now, sadly, I am apparently too old to be anyone's Idol.)
10. I like reptiles.  In my classroom teacher days, I had a menagerie that included two different snakes, two turtles, and several lizards.
11. I've traveled to seven different countries and 23 states (plus the District of Columbia).  I want to travel to lots more.
12. Perhaps my biggest pet peeve is hearing incorrect grammar (or seeing incorrect spelling).  Drives me batty! 
13. I like kid's movies.  I believe Walt Disney and Jim Henson to have been two of the most genius men to have ever lived.
14. Although I am not the video game aficionado that J is, I love me some Rock Band.  And I rock at it.  I will challenge anyone, and chances aren't bad that I will win.  I play guitar on the "Expert" level and kick ass.  There are even a few songs that I can beat, but J can't.
15. I find British accents to be extremely pleasing to the ear.  My GPS speaks to me as a British woman, whom I have lovingly given the good British name of Matilda.

30 Day Blog Challenge

I recently read another blogger's 30 Day Challenge, and thought this was a great idea!  (I'm stealing this idea from you, Ashley- hope that's okay!)

Basically, I'm challenging myself to blog every day (including weekends!) for 30 days in a row.

I mean, Monday is the first day of school, and I have a four month old baby.  It's not like I have anything else going on!  Why not put the pressure on to blog every day?

In all reality, I'd love to blog every day.  Maybe this is just the way to get into the habit!  (Didn't someone, somewhere once say that it takes 30 days to form a habit?  Or did I just make that up?)

I found several versions of 30 day challenges.  Here is what mine will look like:
Day 1| A recent picture of you, and 15 interesting facts about yourself.
Day 2| A picture of something you ate today.
Day 3| Your idea of the perfect first date.
Day 4| Your favorite photograph of your best friend.
Day 5| In your mind, what does your future look like?
Day 6| A picture of an animal you'd love to keep as a pet.
Day 7| Your dream wedding.
Day 8| Put your iPod on shuffle: first ten songs that play.
Day 9| A photo of the last item you purchased.
Day 10| A photo of your favorite place to eat.
Day 11| What's in your makeup bag?
Day 12| A photograph of the town you live in.
Day 13| Your favorite musician and why?
Day 14| A TV show you're currently addicted to.
Day 15| Something you don't leave the house without.
Day 16| Your celebrity crush.
Day 17| A photo of you and your family.
Day 18| Something you're afraid of.
Day 19| Nicknames you have.
Day 20| The meaning behind your blog name.
Day 21| A photo of something that makes you happy.
Day 22| Favorite super hero and why?
Day 23| Songs that you listen to when you are happy, sad, hyped, bored, mad.
Day 24| A photo of something that means a lot to you.
Day 25| What's in your purse?
Day 26| A photo of somewhere you've been.
Day 27| A picture of you last year and now: how have you changed since then?
Day 28| Your favorite movie.
Day 29| Something you could never get tired of doing.
Day 30| A photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened to you in the past 30 days.

Sounds like fun, no?

Exceptional Eats: Roasted Pears

These exceptional eats are another gem I adapted from my favorite boring and monotone Contessa, Ina Garten.  (Seriously, she seems so lame, yet she hosts fabulous Hamptons soirees.  I don't quite understand her!  But in any case, her recipes are simply divine.)

I typically serve these as a side dish next to chicken or pork, but they'd be great as part of a salad with peppery arugula, or even as a dessert.  Definitely one of J's favorites.

Ingredients:

3 firm pears (I've used several varieties, and all have been fine)
Lemon juice
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup apple cider or juice (cider is better, if you have it, but juice works fine, too)
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.


Peel the pears and slice them lenthwise into halves.  Using a spoon, remove the core and seeds from each pear, making a little well for the filling.  Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling.  Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.  Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.

Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese and dried cranberries together in a small bowl.  Divide the mixture among the pears, filling each well (with heaping mounds!).



In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Pour the mixture over and around the pears.  Bake the pears, basting every ten minutes or so with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender.  Set aside and serve warm or at room temperature.

YUMMO.

Product Review: Lip Balm

Like many of you ladies (and maybe a few gents!), I am a little bit of lip balm obsessed.  I just want my lips to be soft, supple, and perfectly kissable at every moment of every day- is that too much to ask?

In this quest, I have amassed a serious collection of products.  I believe I may have tried millions- yes, millions- of different brands.  It has taken me years, but I believe I have finally found the one I've been searching for.

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1.  I'd been suffering from chronic chapped lips that I couldn't quite get rid of for several weeks.  Once I started using this religiously?  Cured.

An added bonus?  It has just the right amount of shine, and isn't sticky!  To me, shine without stickiness is a lip product miracle.

Love.

Take THAT, Martha

Happy 4th!